Past week saw the release of 2014 National Award for Progress in Science and Technology. The project “Application of the Key Cultivation Techniques of Super Rice and Its Regionalized Integration for High Yield” led by Professor Zhu Defeng’s research team of China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI) won the 2014 second award.

The research and promotion of super rice has greatly contributed to China’s rice yield. Compared with the general rice, super rice possessed drastically different properties, such as higher dry matter production, larger panicles and more grains. However, the traditional cultivation technique can’t realize its yield potential due to incompatible requirement of super rice production. The project “Application of the Key Cultivation Techniques of Super Rice and Its Regionalized Integration for High Yield” focused on investigation of the growth and development characteristics, yielding mechanism and appropriate high-yield cultivation methods for super rice varieties, as well as developing key cultivation techniques to provide technical support for super rice production in large scale.

Demonstration of High Yield Techniques of Super Rice at Maturity Stage

The research has revealed high-yielding growth characteristics of super rice varieties and elucidating the common mechanism of its high yield formation. It indicated that the increase of biomass during the later stage is the key of high yield, and clarified the material basis for the yield formation of super rice. The results showed that adequate spikelet number per unit was the basic capacity of high yield formation. The research also suggested the quantity of NPK needed for high yield.

Practical diagnostic indicators of high-yielding plant population was established. The approaches to increase yield of super rice in the main rice planting regions was proposed.

Aerobic Irrigation of Super Rice

A regionalized high yielding cultivation technique system of super rice in China was established. A series of practical cultivation techniques suitable to specific rice seasons, regions and varieties were developed. The main high yielding cultivation technique system of super rice has been listed as a leading cultivation technology for rice production by the Ministry of Agriculture. Its application covers 1.19 million hectares, increasing 6.4 million tons of rice yields and producing economic benefit of 13.74 billion yuan during 2011-2013. The achievements have produced great economic, social and ecological benefits, making great contributions to gain production and food security for China.